Safety hand crank starter for engines



Dec. 13, 1038. s. RIDDELL SAFETY HAND CRANK STARTER FOR ENGINES Filed May 28, 1957 I INVENTOR barred iizddell B ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 2 14 630 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY HAND CRANK STARTER FOR ENGINES Sherrod Riddell, Springfield, 111. Application May 28, 1937, Serial No. 145,195 1 Claim. (01. 123185) This invention relates to improvements in the m mb rs II a d I1 and the housing It wa d y hand starters for internal combustion motors, and a rie t i s inn r n a pi n i 0011- and it is the principal object of my invention to pling mem e 20 t engage the Crank shaft of provide such a starter which at all times will the motor.

protect the operator of a motor vehicle, as for T u e end of the Shaft 29 eXtendS through 5 instance a tractor, truck, automobile or also of the member 11 and carries a D 22 for the stationary engines against serious injury resulttachment of a starting crank 23 having recesses ing from a kick back caused by back-firing, or in which the pin 22 engages. ignition and carburetor troubles, as it will dis- Between the coupling members I! and H and connect the crank from the engine instantheir inner supplementing flanges, the stub shaft 10 taneously when such a kick back occurs. carries a boss 24 provided with a spiral groove Another object of my invention is the provision on its outer periphery which is generally desigof a hand starter for internal combustion motors nated 25 upon which travels a ratchet gear 26 of a simple and therefore comparatively inexhaving inner shoulders 21 engaging the spiral pensive construction, yet durable and highly efgroove of the boss, while a pawl or dog 28 pivoted 15 ficient in use. intermediate its ends, as at 29, to a jaw or flange A further object of my invention is the proof the member I! engages between the teeth of vision of a hand starter for internal combustion the ratchet gear 26, a d s d 111 this a and similar motors, the crank shaft of which ment by means of the spring 30 secured in the will compress a spring during the cranking opinner flange or part ll. 20 eration while engaging the crank shaft with the A strong spring 3i is located within a chamber engine starter shaft and when expanding under 32 in the housing l0, and wound about the shaft the influence of a kick back will engage a 20 between the inner wall of the boss 26 and ratchet gear upon a spirally grooved boss on the the end wall of the chamber 32.

shaft which is prevented from reversing by The operation of my device will be entirely 25 means of a ratchet dog to slowly disengage the clear from the above description by siinulcrank shaft from the starter shaft and positively taneously having reference to the drawing, and preventing the crank shaft from backward rotait will be clear that the crank can readily be tion. engaged with the crank shaft of a motor under 3 These and other objects and advantages of the compression of spring 3!. As soon, however, my invention will become more fully known as as the engine backfires the spring 3! will expand the description thereof proceeds, and will then and will cause the shaft to be spirally moved be more specifically defined in the appended outwardly to compel the ratchet gear 26 to folclaim. low this movement with its inner shoulders 2'! 35 In the accompanying drawing forming a mato engage the spiral groove 25 of the boss to 35 terial part of this disclosure: slowly rotate the stub shaft 20 in the direction Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a safety hand of cranking while the pawl or dog will hold the starter for internal combustion engines conratchet against turning backward, and thus any structed according to my invention. sudden powerful backward swing of the hand Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough crank during cranking and backfiring will be 40 on line 22 of Figure 1. avoided and the frequent injuries sustained by Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Figthe hands and arms, especially the will ure 1. be positively avoided.

As illustrated, the hand starter comprises It will be clear that I have described and su s a y a sleeve or us t havin an shown the preferred form of my device only as 45 Outer Coupling member I l formed integrally one example of the many possible ways to practitherewith adapted to be attached to the motor cally construct the same and that I may make vehicle H by means of t e bolts l4 ex e i g such changes in the general arrangement thereof t u s d up member a d a ryi a and in the construction of its minor details as their inner ends the locking nuts l5, it. These come within the scope of the appended claim 50 bolts extend also through another Coupling without departure from the spirit of my invenmember ll supplementing the member H and tion, and the principles involved. held in engagement therewith by means of the Having thus described my invention, what 1 nuts I8, H3 at the outer ends of the bolts I3, 14. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters A stub shaft 20 extends through the coupling Patent is: 55

In a safety hand starter for internal combustion engines, a stub shaft, a housing member on said shaft to engage the motor crank shaft, a crank for rotating said stub shaft in clockwise direction, a boss on said stub shaft having a spiral groove in its outer periphery, and a ratchet gear having inner shoulders engaging the spiral groove on said boss, a spring wound about said stub shaft to be compressed during cranking and to expand under backfire to engage said ratchet gear and move the same outwards along said boss and during such movement rotate the same and the stub shaft slowly in the direction of cranking to prevent injury, a second, flanged and recessed housing member supplementing the first named member and bolted with the same to the engine to form a housing constituting a compact structure for the elements of the hand starter contained therein, a pawl pivoted intermediate its ends to: theflange of said housing member and engaging between the teeth of said ratchet gear, and a spring Within the recess of said housing member to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchet gear to form a means to prevent backward rotation of said ratchet gear and stub shaft.

SHERROD RIDDELL. 

